The invention generally relates to networks and network applications, and more specifically to an application platform for electronic mail (email).
In general, email is an exchange of computer-stored messages by telecommunication. email messages are usually encoded in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text. However, one can also send non-text files, such as graphic images and sound files, as attachments sent in binary streams. email can also be exchanged between online service provider users and in networks other than the Internet, both public and private.
Email can be distributed to lists of people as well as to individuals. A shared distribution list can be managed by using an email reflector. Some mailing lists enable a user to subscribe by sending a request to a mailing list administrator. A mailing list that is administered automatically is called a list server.
Email is one of the protocols included with the Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of protocols. A popular protocol for sending email is Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and a popular protocol for receiving it is Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3).
In general, an email message includes three components, a message envelope, a message header, and a message body. The message header contains control information, including, minimally, an originator's email address and one or more recipient addresses. Usually descriptive information is also added, such as a subject header field and a message submission date/time stamp.
A conventional email system operates using a mail user client which is a software application program used to send and receive emails. Examples include Outlook® messaging and collaboration client and Hotmail® web-based email service by Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash. Conventional mail user client do not allow significant interactivity with web servers over the World Wide Web. While it is common to embed Universal Resource Locator (URL) addresses within an email, once a URL is selected, the user is taken from the mail user client, and the user accesses the selected web server URL via the user's browser. Further interaction with the selected URL is then performed by the browser, outside of the mail user client.